QUETTA: A provincial government meeting on Tuesday expressed serious concern over poor law and order situation in the province despite spending a huge amount of Rs55 billion annually to ensure peace and security.

The meeting, presided over by Home and Tribal Affairs Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove, pledged to ensure security and law and order across the province, especially on highways linking the province with other parts of the country.

The meeting discussed recent incidents of terrorism, which claimed innocent lives in different areas of the province. The authorities concerned briefed the meeting about steps taken by law-enforcement agencies to ensure security and safety of the masses.

It decided to use all available resources to maintain law and order and all highways and inter-provincial roads would be made safe for secure and peaceful travel of the people.

The meeting noted that ensuring security of the masses was the basic responsibility of any government in the world.

“All steps must be taken to eliminate terrorism and from the province,” Mr Langove told the meeting and directed all institutions concerned to ensure sec­urity across the province.

He appealed to the masses to cooperate with security personnel to maintain law and order.

The minister stressed the need for better coordination between police and Levies Force and other law-enforcement agencies and said that accurate information should be used to take action against criminals.

Additional Chief Secretary Zahid Saleem, Balochistan police chief Abdul Khaliq Sheikh and senior officials of Frontier Corps and police attended the meeting.

CM’s presser

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti has said that the provincial government has decided to resolve the issue of the ongoing insurgency and acts terrorism taking place in the province with consensus.

CM Bugti added that for this purpose, lawmakers, tribal elders and all opposition parties will be taken into confidence as the problem was badly affecting the province and retarding its progress and development.

Speaking at a press conference late on Tuesday night after his return from Islamabad, the chief minister said that he has formed a committee at the provincial level for holding talks with leaders of all political parties, coalition partners and opposition parties for developing consensus to adopt a mechanism for resolving the issue on a permanent basis.

Mr Bugti said the negotiation committee comprised Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran and Mir Shoaib Nosherwani (PML-N), Mir Ali Madad Jattak (PPP) and Mir Ziaullah Langove (BAP).

According to the chief minister, the committee will start its work immediately and hold talks with leaders of all political parties irrespective of having representation or no representation in the parliament.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2024